The family of the Palestinian journalist killed by an Israeli soldier meets the pontiff on the sidelines of the general audience. The brother tells : he gives “strength” to the search for justice, which is “the least we can do to honor her memory”. The impression of “impunity” of the Israeli army. Shireen “a voice for peace” “intentionally” silenced. P. Ibrahim: the situation is “very serious”.
Rome () – An “important and exciting” meeting, which gives “strength” to the fight “for truth and justice” that the family has undertaken “to honor their memory, which is the least we can and must do ”, said Anton Abu Akleh, brother of Shireen, the Palestinian journalist killed on May 11 by an Israeli soldier during a military operation in Jenin, West Bank. Anton Abu Akleh spoke to a few minutes after his meeting with Pope Francis and Card. Pietro Parolin on the sidelines of Wednesday’s hearing. It was an intense and participatory moment, which gives us strength, he added, in this battle “that we have undertaken in the name and on behalf of the entire Palestinian people.”
“We thanked the Pope and Cardinal Parolin [secretario de Estado del Vaticano] for having raised the issue at the UN,” says the brother. On the same occasion, a colleague, Ali al-Samoudi, was also injured. Both wore bulletproof vests with the inscription “Press” and protective helmets. In early September, Israel admitted that there was “a high possibility” that the reporter had been accidentally hit by bullets fired by the army, although the latter has always denied all accusations, stating that she had acted correctly.
“The search for justice -says Anton Abu Akleh- is fundamental, also and above all from a peace perspective, because there is no peace without justice. To achieve this goal, the aggression must be stopped. [israelí], the killing of civilians and journalists. For our family, for us who are Christians, the closeness of the Pope and the Cardinal is very important”. However, solidarity -he continues- must be accompanied by justice, and those guilty must answer for their actions” before a court “so that it does not happen again”. My sister was killed by an Israeli sniper “who knew he was attacking a civilian target, but so far “the army and its soldiers have enjoyed a general climate of impunity”. “Shireen was a voice for peace, against the occupation, and she worked to give voice to the suffering of a people.” “That is why – she concludes – Israel wanted to silence her, intentionally eliminating her.”
This afternoon at 5:00 p.m., a suffrage mass will be celebrated in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, at the initiative of the Greco-Melkite Patriarchate of Antioch and the High Presidential Committee for the Affairs of the Churches of Palestine. The mass will be presided over by the archimedrite Chihade Abboud in the presence of his relatives. A meeting with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, is also planned.
In recent months, the Israeli army has repeatedly supported the thesis of the accident, affirming that its men acted correctly, although at the same time admitting “the high probability” that one of them has confused Shireen Abu Akleh with an armed Palestinian militant. . That is why he could have shot him, with a telescopic sight that enlarges the image up to four times, from inside the armored jeep in which he was sitting. Faced with the mobilization of NGOs and activists (the family has resorted to the International Criminal Court), Israel admitted the murder, but insists on the thesis that it was a “mistake” and not a deliberate act.
Meanwhile, the escalation of violence in the occupied territories does not stop. The latest operation by the Israeli security forces ended yesterday with a balance of six Palestinians dead, three of whom were armed. Another victim is a protester riddled with bullets while throwing stones at soldiers during a protest march. The epicenter is the city of Nablus, where a new group called the Lion’s Den has recently formed and has been targeted by the Israeli army (IDF) since a soldier was killed earlier this month. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has just launched a call for an international mobilization against Israel, to ask that the “war criminals” be investigated. The demonstrations are multiplying in all the Territories and in Nablus a “day of anger” has been called, accompanied by a general strike.
Also present in the delegation that met with the Pope today was Fr. Ibrahim Falsas, Custodian Vicar of the Holy Land. “The situation is very serious and difficult -confirms the priest- we have deaths every day; since the beginning of the year there have been more than 180, of whom 47 are children. We are all very worried, there is a fear that it will get out of control and nobody knows how it can end. I have lived in the Holy Land for 33 years and I have never seen such a serious situation”.
